Can opener



Patented May 19, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to can openers, and more particularly, to theso-called wall type can openers wherein the mechanism may be secured toa wall, kitchen cabinet, or the like so that an operators hand may becomparatively free for the loading and handle turning operation.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a can opener ofsimple design and one which will be economical to manufacture.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a can opener ofthe blade cutter and traction wheel type capable of holding large andheavy cans on the traction wheel better than those provided heretoforewithout a can supporting table or bottom support.

Some of the improved details of construction provided by the presentinvention are a blade cutter secured to the frame at a point far removedfrom its real cutting edge so as to be yieldable for irregularities inthe rim of a can and means arranged to positively limit the yieldingmovement. Also, this latter means is adapted to prevent the can fromtilting about the periphery of the traction Wheel.

Another feature of construction includes the provision of a novelbracket arrangement Wherein only a single screw is needed to lock andhold. the main supporting arm rigidly in its operative o position andabout which the arm may be swung into and held in its inoperativeposition.

Still other features of the present invention are the provision of anovel arrangement for movably supporting a traction wheel on the frameand associated novel means for moving the traction wheel to and fromoperative and inoperative positions and for holding the wheel in thesepositions.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawing- Figure 1 isa perspective view of the complete canopenerof the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the main operating parts of the presentinvention, and shows the blade cutter punched into a can.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the main operating parts, showing thetraction wheel in the raised operative position.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the main operating parts, on the handleside, in the raised operative position. l Y

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but shows the traction Wheel in thelowered inoperative POS- tion.

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 4, but shows the handle parts in thelowered inoperative position.

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional View through the cutter and traction Wheel,with these parts in the 5 inoperative position on a can.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7, but shows the parts in the raisedoperative position on a can.

Fig. 9 is a perspective detail view of the bracket 10 and main arm inthe operative position.

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 9, but shows the arm in itsinoperative position.

Fig. 11 is a detail of the aligning studs.

Fig. 12 is a detail of the camming stud.

Fig. 13 shows the main operating parts of the present invention inposition for cutting oif rather than cutting out the top of a can.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, the present invention in itspreferred form com-v prises a main frame l5 including a bracket I6 forattachment to a wall, kitchen cabinet, or the like, a horizontal plateor arm I1 and a vertical arm I8. The two latter arms are preferablylocated relative to each other by two aligning studs I9 on the verticalarm entering suitable cooperating apertures 20 in the horizontal arm,and are held together by screws 2| and 22.

Although it is possible to have the bracket I6 made integral with thehorizontal arm I1, it is 30 now considered preferable to have it madeseparate, as shown, so that the long forwardly projecting arm may bemoved from a handy operating, but sometimes unsafe or in the wayposition (see Figs. 1 and 9) to a safe out-of-the-way 35 position (seeFig. l0) In order to do this and to rigidly support the arms l1 and I8in heavy load supporting and can cutting or operative position, thepresent invention provides a stud 23 and wing nut 24 and a tongue 25 onthe bracket, with the tongue preferably lanced and formed integraltherewith, and elongated slots 26 and 2l on the horizontal arm. 'Ihestud 23 fits into the slot 26 and the tongue 25 fits into the other slot21.

. When it is desired to move the frame from the inoperative positionshown in Fig. 10 to the operative position shown in Fig. 9, it is merelynecessary to loosen the wing nut 24 and swing the arm I1 around the stud23 into the horizontal po- 50 sition, then slide it rearwardly on thestud as l permitted by the slot 26 until the tongue 25 enters the slot21, whereupon the nut is again tightened. Thus, the present inventionprovides a simple positive and very rigid connection.

The main operating parts of the can opener are located near the frontend of the horizontal arm I1 and comprise a blade cutter 28 secured tothe frame I5 by the screw 2I. This screw also serves to hold thevertical arm I8 to the horizontal arm I1. Preferab1ythis blade cutter issecured only at its upper end, at a point quite remote from the angularcutting edge 29 to be yieldable for irregularities in cans, as will bepointed out in greater detail later.

A traction wheel 30 is also provided. to engage the underside 3| of therim 32 of a can 33, and provided with serrations or teeth 34 on itsperiphery adapted to bite into the can and move it circularly about theblade cutter 28 while the latter cuts the top of the can, as may be seenbest in Fig. 8. y

According to the present invention,` a simple, economical and veryefficient mount is provided for the traction wheel 30. This comprises aspacing collar 35 having a sliding fit in a vertical aperture 36 in thearm I8 and a threaded stud 31 having threaded connections 38 and 39 withthe traction Wheel and with a handle 48 respectively. Thus, inassembling these parts to the frame, it is merely necessary to screw thestud 31 slightly into the handle, drop the spacing collar over the stud,pass this assemblage into the aperture 36, then thread the tractionwheel onto the stud, and solidly against the spacing collar 35.

This securing means may be, and preferably is, used to also hold a novelcontrol cam 4I having a handle 49 to the frame I5. To this end thespacing collar 35 and stud 31 are made slightly longer than thethickness of the arm I8, and the cam 4I preferably with a spring washer48 are passed onto the collar before the traction wheel is threaded ontothe stud, solidly against the spacing collar.

'I'he control armA 4I in effect forms a carrier adapted to move thetraction wheel 30 upwardly intoV the operative position under the rim 3Iof the can 33, then move the can upwardly relative to the blade cutter28 so that the angular cutting edge 29 pierces into the top of the can,and to hold the traction wheel and associatedy handle 40 in either theraised operative position, Figs. 2 to 4 inclusive, or in the inoperativeposition shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Y

To this end, the cam is provided with a flat 42 spaced a short extentfrom the stud 41 to allow the spacing collar 35 and associated tractionwheel 30 to move downwardly relative to the blade cutter 28 into theposition shown in Fig. 5. It is also provided with another flat 43spaced a greater extent from the stud, which, when it engages theshelf44, maintains the traction wheel in the raised operative positionshown in Fig. 3. A convex section 45 is adapted to ride on the shelf 44and convex section 46 is adapted to ride on the camming stud 41 to raiseand lower the traction Wheel relative to the cutter and shelf 44 as ahandle 49 section of the cam is moved ontothe shelf. It should also` benoted that the flat 43 r is offset slightlyv relative to the center lineof the stud 31 (see Fig. 4) so that -it is possible to lift `thetraction wheel higher than the normal operative position; viz. higherthan when the flat 43 and shelf 44 are parallel.

'Ihe vertical arm, I8 is also provided with a tongue 50 preferablyintegral with the arm and 'arranged to be thrown at a right angle totheY arm when the shelf 44 is formed. It serves to locate and maintainacan spaced slightly from the face of the traction wheel, as may be seenbest in Fig. 2 in order to reduce friction.

It should be particularly noted that the present invention provides anovel form of yoke 5I overlying the blade cutter 28. Preferably, thisyoke is made U-shaped with a back section 52 having arms 53 engaging aside and integral lingers 54 underlying the main arm I1. It is held inplace by the screw 22. This screw together with the blade screw 2I passthrough the plate I1 and are threaded into the other plate I8 to holdthem on the locating lugs I9 and hold them rigidly together.

The arm 53 at the back of the blade cutter serves to prevent the cutterfrom moving' arcuately around the screw 2I and supports' it againstregular cutting strain while the back' seic-r tion 52 thereof has alanced nger 56 adapted to? limit the sidewise yielding movement of thecutter. If the yoke is formed with sharp bends on`- the inside cornerswher-e the side arm 53 el1-- gages the back of the cutter, the backsecto'nf alone may be spaced slightly from the cutter and it will not benecessary to provide a separate lanced finger 56.

The underside of the two arms 53 overlies the rim 32 of a can and servesto limit arcuate movement of the can about the traction wheel 30. Thenger 54 section of the arms 53, by passing under the plate I1, locatethe yoke vertically and prevent 'l it from shifting vertically whenengaged by the top rim of a can.

Operation of the can opener is as follows-The underside 3| of the rim ofa can 33 is hooked onto the teeth 34 of the traction wheel 30 while thelatter is in the lowered inoperative position shown in Figs. 5 and 6, orthe can is moved over the cutter 28 as shown in Fig. 7, then the handle49 is grasped and turned to the raised position shown in Fig. 4,whereupon the traction wheel 30 is moved upwardly in the elongated slot36 by the cam 4I riding on the shelf 44 and the blade knife 28 punchesthrough the can as shown in Fig. 8.

The lower end of the yieldingly mounted blade 28 tends to keep the canrim on the traction wheel 38 a maximum extent. The traction' wheel lskept in the raised operative position, biting into the rim of the can,by the flat 43 on the cam engaging the shelf 44.' Itis merely necessaryfor the user to turn the handle 4U, whereupon the traction wheel turnsthe can past the blade 28 until the top is cut out either partially orfully, as preferred. Then the cam handle 49 is turned to the downposition where the can can be removed from the traction wheel again.

In the raised position, it is absolutely impossible to remove the canbecause of the manner in which the blade 28 and traction wheel 38cooperate, as may be clearly seen in Fig. 2. By having the cutteryielding at its lower end, it may spring outwardly for bumps, seamsections, or other irregularities, yet the back section 52 of the yokealways prevents it from moving out far enough to allow the rim of even aheavy can from sliding olf the traction wheel.

Although this can opener is preferably used for cutting out the tops ofcans, as shown in Figs. 1 to 12, inclusive, and as described so far, itmay also be used equally well for cutting olf the tops of cans, bymerely placing the frame in a flatwise direction over the top of a canand with the traction wheel inside the rim section, then moving the cam4I into operative position and turning the crank 40 as when cutting outthe top of the can. Such application is shown in Fig. 13.

It O

Other variations and modifications may be made within the scope of thisinvention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and forwhich it is desired to obtain Letters Patent, isz- 1. In a can opener,the combination of a frame; a traction wheel on the frame; a bladecutter adapted to locate and maintain the rim of a can on the tractionwheel and at its lower end being yieldable with respect to the tractionwheel for irregularities in the rim of the can; means for moving thetraction wheel into engagement with the rim and to force said cutterthrough the top of the can; a crank for turning said traction Wheel; aforwardly projecting arm forming a part of said frame; a U-shaped yokewith outer ends in the form of feet to engage a side of the arm andother sections of the yoke being adapted to engage the rim of the can onboth sides of the cutter; and fingers on the ends of the U-shaped yokeadapted to underlie the arm while the feet thereof engage the side ofthe arm to prevent the yoke from shifting relative to the arm wheneither side of the yoke is engaged by the rim of a can.

2. In a can opener, the combination of a frame, provided with anelongated slot; a blade cutter on the frame; a traction wheeland a shafttherefore having a sliding t in said elongated slot in a directiontoward and from said blade cutter; a shelf on said frame; a lug; and acam pivoted'on the traction wheel shaft having two flats, one

spaced a short extent and the other spaced a longk extent from the pivotadapted to rest upon the rst -named shelf and maintain the tractionwheel in operative and inoperative positions relative to the bladecutter and also having two convex sections riding between the shelf andthe said lug so as to move the traction wheel into and out of engagementwith the rim of a can and force the cutter into and out of the can.

3. In a can opener, the combination of a frame, provided with anelongated slot; a blade cutter on the frame; a traction wheel and ashaft therefore having a sliding t in said elongated slot in a directiontoward and from said blade cutter; a shelf on said frame; a cam pivotedon the traction wheel shaft adapted to move the wheel to operative andinoperative positions relative to the rim of a can and tov the bladecutter; and a nat section on said cam adapted to rest upon the shelf andmaintain the traction wheel in the operative position, said at sectionbeing tangential to the pivot and being adapted to eiect a secondarylift to the traction wheel from the regular operative position tocompensate for slippage in the regular traction bite and to compensatefor slight irregularities in the can.

4. In a can opener, the combination of a frame including a vertical armhaving an elongated slot; a blade cutter secured to the frame; atraction wheel; and means for moving the traction wheel in saidelongated slot towardand from said cutter blade, said vertical armhaving at its lower end a right-angle bend forming a double tongue,

one of said tongues serving to locate the can relative to the cutter andtraction wheel, and the other forming a shelf upon which the means formoving the traction wheel may Work to shift the traction wheel relativeto the cutter.

HARRY V. GOULD.

